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Movie Review - Rush Hour 3
Movie Review - Rush Hour 3
Rated PG-13 for sequences of action violence, sexual content, nudity, and language.
Run Time: 90 minutes
Starring Chris Tucker and Jackie Chan. Directed by Brett Ratner.
Rush Hour 3 is another one of those big summer sequels ending in 3. First, we had Spiderman, Shrek, and then Pirates 3. Then came Ocean's Thirteen, Bourne Ultimatum, and more. Now, we have Rush Hour 3. It's easy to review this movie. It's the same as Rush Hour 1 and 2. I could end it right there.
I remember going to the first Rush Hour movie way back when and really enjoying it. It was a new twist on the buddy-cop movie and I found myself laughing quite frequently. Then Rush Hour 2 came out and although it felt a little rehashed, they had a few original ideas in it. It was a good watch but not a 'keeper'. Now, 6 years after Rush Hour 2, Rush Hour 3 finally makes it to the big screen. What was the hold up? Chris Tucker wanted a bigger paycheck to come back even though he hasn't made any other movies since Rush Hour 2. After a battle of words in the press, the whole cast and crew came back together to deliver this new installment. The first two setup the story and moved into the action and craziness eventually. This movie starts and ends with just enough plot to keep the action scenes/comedy routines coming. There is no explaining of anything and thus if you have never watched Rush Hour 1 or 2, you are really lost.
Let's look at the plot anyways. Rush Hour 3 starts with LAPD officer James Carter (Chris Tucker) directing traffic while Inspector Lee(Jackie Chan) is escorting his friend and China's Ambassador to a World Security Conference. Soon, the ambassador has been shot and Lee is chasing the assassin through the streets and Carter soon catches up. From here, Lee and Carter become mixed up in trying to find the assassin and take down the China Triads that wanted to kill the ambassador. The plot is so thin that unless you are paying very close attention, you might even forget what is going on in between the action.
Not to say this isn't an enjoyable movie. I was actually surprised when the movie ended. It didn't feel finished, but I wasn't bored with it either. The show keeps you entertained even though there isn't much to latch onto. The laughs and gags are mostly reused from the first couple movies and the action is different due to the location in France, but overall feels like you've seen them do this routine before.
I thought that the entire show was worth watching as I am a casual fan of Jackie Chan. Chan has made some terrible movies like The Medallion, The Tuxedo, and more. However, it is always fun to watch him run around and do his stunts. Rush Hour 3 is a terrific vehicle to watch Jackie Chan fight and is 100% better than the previously mentioned movies. Chris Tucker is an enjoyable comedic actor in small doses and he doesn't have a chance to do much in Rush Hour 3 which is a good thing for me.
This movie is directed and written with the Rush Hour fan in mind. So much so that they forget that the Rush Hour fan has already seen the first two movies. This borders on the edge of too close to the originals while trying to stay true to the successful formula. I believe if you generally liked the first two Rush Hour's, that you will at least enjoy the thrill ride of this new installment. For those of you who hated the first two Rush Hour's, you may actually like this one. It cuts out the somewhat boring investigative bits of the first two and cuts straight to the thing it does best, action/comedy.
I won't be watching this one again, but I'm glad I did once, as it was an enjoyable flick to waste an hour and a half with. Give it a shot and let me know what YOU thought in the comments.